“All clear,” Saint and Knight confirmed.
Ty scanned the woods and saw Taco running toward a flash of color. He took off in the same direction, worried for his mom and the woman he loved.
His mother lay against the tree with blood running down her arm. Cherise sent him a relieved smile as tears ran down her face. She motioned toward Scarlett, indicating for him to go to her. Ice stood in front of his mistress in protective mode. Scarlett sat on her haunches. She held out her shaking hands with her palms up. Blood covered her side. Yet she seemed locked into a nightmare.
“Sparky,” he said, dropping to his knees. “I’m here. I got you.”
Taco called for another helo, while Saint gently examined Cherise’s wound. Knight threw his coat under her as they got her situated.
Within minutes, Patch appeared on Ty’s four-wheeler. He rushed to check the older woman, leaving Ty with Scarlett.
“It’s all right, sweetheart,” Ty murmured.
Scarlett stared blankly. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I shot him,” she whispered. “He hurt Rocker. He’s in the barn. Your mom has a shoulder wound.”
Ty moved to pull her into his arms. “Don’t touch me,” she ordered. “I have blood on my hands. I killed him.”
“No. He’s very much alive. It’s not Jeremy. It’s Ben,”he informed her.
“Ben? Why?” Scarlett asked, confused. “I shot a kid.”
Shrugging out of his coat, Ty wrapped it around Scarlett and wiped off Scarlett’s hands on his shirt. He lifted her sweater to see the blood trickling from her side.
“You did good, Sparky,” Ty said calmly. “You protected yourself and my mom. Ben’s as old as the young men who join our military. It doesn’t matter about his age. He killed Debbie and attempted to harm you and my mom.”
Scarlett’s face crumbled, and Ty noticed her increased breathing. Blood be damned, he wrapped his arms around her and held pressure to her wound.
“She’s shot,” Ty told Leo.
The sound of sirens echoed around Ty’s peaceful ranch. A helicopter sounded overhead as it landed in the field. Chaos surrounded them, yet Ty focused on Scarlett.
He glanced up, knowing his friends would care for his mom. “Mom, I’m right here,” he called, letting her know he planned to stay with Scarlett. He brushed back the hair from her face, cupping her cheek.
“I see you, son. Scarlett’s the blind one. But you’d better watch yourself, she’s fierce. I’m proud of her. Sparky, kept her courage under fire.”
Ty nodded, his eyes growing blurry as he glanced at the woman he loved more than anything. Patch rushed toward them after ordering Cherise to the helo. “Let’s get Scarlett loaded with your mom.”
Two men appeared with a board as Patch assisted Scarlett. Ty glanced at the culprit who hurt his family. Another doctor knelt near Ben, administering aid.
“What about Ben?” he asked, not caring what happened to him, but wanting to know his reasoning for his actions.
“He’s hit in the arm and leg. Ben can handle the ride in an ambulance,” Patch informed him. “Rocker’s already in flight. Get in, and we can take off.”
Ty sat between his two favorite women. He grasped Cherise’s hand as Patch worked on Scarlett while Ty watched anxiously. In minutes, they landed on the hospital roof. Three teams rushed their patients away, leaving Ty conflicted. Cherise squeezed his hand.
“Go with her, son. She’s your future,” she encouraged him. “You can’t go with me to surgery, and I have friends here. Scarlett needs you. Stay with her until they take her back.”
“I love you, Mom,” he said, kissing her cheek and running after the team caring for Scarlett.
Scarlett seemed overwhelmed as people rushed around her. A nurse grabbed a pair of scissors and started cutting her clothes. The doctor called out orders to prep the surgical room. Kassie pushed him toward Scarlett’s head.
“She’s in shock, Ty. Keep talking to her. Claire will visit her once we’ve taken care of the wound,” Kassie said, running off to do something else.
“It’s me, Sparky. You’re safe. Don’t go back into the dark. I need you here with me. We still need to finish our book. Remember, Hannah needs you to bring her into the light,” he babbled, attempting to keep her with him. “I love you, Sparky.”
Her hand slowly raised, and he moved the IV to keep her from pulling it out. She clung to him as if he acted as her anchor. “I love you, too.”
“We’re taking her back,” Kassie said gently. “We’ll take good care of her,” she reassured him. They started rolling the bed, and he refused to leave her until the last possible moment, letting the doors to the operating room separate them.
